Honoring Our Education at Illinois Alumni

The College of Education Alumni Awards were established by the Education Alumni Association (EAA) in 1995 to publicly recognize the outstanding contributions of our graduates.

Education at Illinois Alumni Awards

Award Categories

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to alumni who have attained outstanding success and national or international distinction in their chosen profession or life’s work after 10 years of their final degree from Illinois, and whose accomplishments reflect admirably on, or bring honor to, the College and their Alma Mater.

The Emerging Leader Alumni Award (formerly, Young Alumni Achievement Award) recognizes alumni with fewer than 10 years of professional experience after completing their final degree from the College, and who are making outstanding professional contributions to their field since graduating. Awardees show potential for continued leadership and a passion for equity and justice in education.

*NEW* The PreK-12 Educator Excellence Award recognizes Education alumni who have excelled in PreK-12 education by providing leadership in the use of innovative classroom methods, programs or other initiatives.

2024 Award Nomination Process

Nominations from faculty, alumni, and friends of the College for 2024 awards are accepted through March 1, 2024, at 5 p.m. CST. We encourage all nominations be kept confidential.

Anyone (with the exception of family members of nominees and self-nominations) may submit an Education at Illinois Alumni Award nomination, which is reviewed by the College of Education's Award Selection Committee.

Since review is based on the written submission, nominators will want to carefully ensure their nomination materials adequately describe their nominee's unique qualifications for the award. The selection committee will not conduct further research on behalf of any nominee.

The College of Education maintains complete confidentiality of all nominations, which, if not selected, continue under active consideration for a period of three years. All nominations should include:

• The completed online application or a letter describing the nominee's achievements and distinguished service;
• Nominee's resume or curriculum vitae; and
• Additional letters of support.

We also encourage the submission of other supporting material, such as a LinkedIn profile page, news articles or announcements speaking to the nominee's impact, or a written description of the nominee's work and service.

Submit your nomination and all supporting materials online here, or by mail to:

Education Alumni Award Program
College of Education Advancement Office
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
1310 S. Sixth Street, Suite 32
Champaign, IL 61820

College of Education alumni can also be recognized through campus-level awards through the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

If you would like to update or send new information for an existing nomination, you may do so at any time. For more information, please contact the Office of Advancement at advancement@education.illinois.edu or 217-244-7228.